Banana Cupcakes with Honey Whipped Cream

 

Have I mentioned how much I love the zoo?  Seriously.  I will pass up almost anything else. Yes, yes, you still win, Disneyland.  But, I remember when I was little and we had season passes to the zoo.  My mom would always take a sketch pad and draw amazing sketches.  For some reason I always remember her sketching the gorillas.  Primates are may favorite.  They interact so much and, have you seen the orangutans that paint??  My faaavorite primate tho?  You could keep guessing but you wouldn't get it.  The bonobo.  They are actually the closest living relative we have.  I bet you thought it was the chimpanzee.  And I bet you didn't think you would learn something new here.  Thank my college biology teacher.  So... I was thinking about the zoo and thought, lets make monkey cupcakes. Thus... these delightful babies were born.



 

These cupcakes taste just like banana bread. I like to leave my banana chunky so that every once and a while I get a pocket of creamy banana. The honey whipped cream is perfect! Its not super sweet, but has the richness of honey. The cake is the opposite of dry and slightly dense. Best of all?? These are simple. Sometimes... less is more.

 

Banana Cupcakes with Honey Whipped Cream

 

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes (plus extra to allow things to cool)

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

•  3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
• 3 cups mashed bananas (About 8 really ripe ones. Riper than in the picture)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts (no nuts for me)

Whipped Cream:

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1 - 2 Tbsp of honey (depends on how sweet you want it)
• Banana Chips * optional

   

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place a bowl in the refrigerator to chill for the whipped cream.  Line two 12-cup muffin pans with liners.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

 

 

 

 

Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture.  In the well, mix together the butter, bananas, eggs, and vanilla.  Stir to incorporate flour mixture.  Be careful to not over-mix.  Divide evenly into muffin tins.  They should be 3/4 full.

   

Bake the cupcakes 25 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and removed clean.  Let the cupcakes sit in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove.  Place them on a wire rack and let cool completely.  While the cakes are cooling, grab the bowl from the refrigerator.  Pour the cream and honey into it.  Whip the mixture until medium to stiff peaks form.  Keep in the refrigerator until the cakes are ready to be topped.  Once the cakes are completely cool, top with the honey whipped cream.  If you want, put a dried banana chip on top and drizzle with some honey.

 

Go bananas and enjoy! :-)